Thus, the historical battle between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson was canceled for the fifth time with criticism towards the champion.
Yesterday, the Russian Department of Air Transport said it was possible to arrange a private flight for Khabib to return to the US for UFC 249. However, the agency was not sure about the possibility of “Dagestan Eagle” re-entry to Russia due to the epidemic situation.
And in the latest announcement on Instagram, Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially admitted that he will be absent at UFC 249: “At home in isolation and I read everyone’s feedback on my match.
I realized that the whole world needs isolation, the governments of all countries, famous people call for people to safely quarantine to avoid spreading the disease. And Khabib is the one who goes against those demands, expressing his freedom by flying around the world, for a match?”
“I understand everything and are obviously more disappointed than all of you for canceling the match. I still have a lot of plans after the game but I can’t control it all” – Khabib admitted.
“The country and the world’s largest company are shocked by what is happening, every day is passing with changes. unpredictable variables. But Khabib still has to fight, is that what you guys want to say? Take care of yourself and put yourself in my place”.
Facing this information, Tony Ferguson – Khabib’s opponent at UFC 249 frankly told ESPN: “He should be stripped of his belt.”
“The problem is not what we are facing. People are trying to keep things normal with the slightest hope. These are the doctors and nurses who are taking care of us all. And if it is possible to be a small part of that and continue the work, I am willing to accept” – Tony added.
Now, similar to both sides of Khabib and Tony Ferguson, the public is also raising two streams of opinion. One argued that Khabib was cautious about the disease and not leaving Russia. On the contrary, many people agree with Tony and believe that the champion is looking for an excuse to avoid the much-anticipated match.
